i don't believe republicans care about the deficit as the deficit. none of their behavior indicates that. and i mean, they're behavior during tr go. works bush years and the behavior i just indicated where they revoked $500 billion in cuts. it's fine to say it's not the deficit. they care about things like reducing made care over the ling longrun or they don't like the fact the entitlement state is making people -- what are the actual principles at play here in these negotiations? i am confused. >> i think that republicans do care about the denver sit. i think they care about spending more than the deficit. >> well put, i agree. >> and i suspect that if you were to poll the republican caucus on the hill, there is a overwhelming majority of people that say -- the country is lived beyond its means and somehow, somewhere, we have to get it under control. the way to do that, obviously, is where the money is being spend which is entitlement programs. as a political matter nobody wants to talk about cuts. i agree with you. we talk about bending the curve.